292 Barnes on Batracian Animals and doubtful Reptils. 
DESCRIPTION- 
Head much flattened, particularly below; nase a little - 
rounded; upper jaw projecting a little beyond the lower ; 
two rows of very small teeth above and below; tongue very 
short, flat and rounded. <A fold of skin under the neck, re- 
sembling a collar, extends laterally to the upper side of the 
gills. Eyes visible, tho covered by the epidermis and par-~ 
tially concealed. Nostrils placed rather gant, on the ex- 
tremity of the nose. Three branchize on each side of the 
neck, large, and furnished with tufted fringed rt = laterally 
compressed, and furnished above and below with a thin mem-~ 
brane, which makes it appear more inctiaenated: Skin with- 
out scales, but viscous, and wrinkled transversely, like that of 
most Salamanders and ese A longitedinal furrow runs 
over the head, from the nose to the commencement of the 
taili: -Acsunilar farcew beneath a body, from the fore to the 
hind legs. The tail performs the office of a tail-fin, as im 
fishes. Habitat unknown. 
"Remarks. The above isthe description of the Count La- 
cepede, translated from the “Annals of the Museum.” ¥ 
should conjecture that this animal came from North America, 
the native country of all the doubtful reptils, except the Pro- 
teus anguinus, and the country which will probably 1 furnisl: 
hereafter several others of the same family.* |The difference 
between this and the Protens of the Lakes, appears to con- 
sist in the additional row of teeth in the lower jaw, and the 
(spatulate) tail broader towards the extremity, and the fold of 
skin under the neck. Lacepede ealls it a Proteus, and thinks 
that the Axolotl should also be so called, and that they shoul 
be arranged thus: 
oes 4—5 
In this s- opinion 1 most cordially concur, and I insert the 
Proteus Lateralis in the second place; which, I doubt not, the 
learned author would have done, had he known the animal. 
Dr. Mitchill’s oe — Lacepede’ $s mutually confirm each 
other, and elucidate ue patie view here taken of these very 
interesting reptil Ss. 
‘Remark. No mention is made of the color of this ani- 
mal, and some persons have doubted its maturity, and others 
* See note at page 269. 
